This invention generally relates to compact dispensing packages for sheet-like products. In particular, this invention relates to compact dispensing packages having a discrete support member. Still more particularly, this invention relates to compact dispensing packages having an inverted Y-shaped support member.
In compact dispensing packages, the sheet-like products are folded into a bundle which may be supported, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,632 issued to Allen D. Early et al. on May 6, 1975, or unsupported, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,700 issued to Howard N. Nelson on Feb. 20, 1968. The bundles are generally formed into the shape of an inverted U although other configurations are known and used by those skilled in the art.
Various methods and devices for supporting the bundle are also known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 1,657,942 issued to Louis C. Spaldo on Jan. 31, 1928 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,456,843 issued to Thomas H. Planner on July 22, 1969, each teach a tissue bundle supported by the outer wall of the carton which is formed into an upwardly projecting partition. U.S. Pat. No. 3,209,941 issued to Kenneth V. Krake on Oct. 5, 1965 teaches an inverted U-shaped tissue bundle also supported by an upwardly projecting partition formed from the outer wall of the carton. Krake, however, further teaches a separate insert placed atop the partition to maintain the stability of the carton. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 3,243,079 issued to Forrest R. Rettmer teaches a V folded bundle supported by a discrete insert positioned within the carton.
During the manufacture of a supported bundle, the individual sheets of sheet-like product are interleaved and stacked and the blank from which the unfolded support member is formed is placed atop the stack prior to being folded and placed into the carton. To prevent shifting and to keep the sheet-like product essentially centered with respect to the support member the blank is substantially coextensive with the sheet-like product. Thus, the length of the blank can be neither substantially longer nor shorter than the length of the sheet-like product.
After being folded and inserted into the package the bundle is held in dispensing position by the support member. If the length of the support member is too short relative to the diagonal dimension of the package, however, the bundle will not be adequately supported and will be susceptible to displacement during transit or rough handling. The length of the support member is fixed by the length of the tissue and the diagonal dimension of the package is fixed by the packaging machine, and neither parameter may be changed without unfavorable consequences. Specifically, changing the length of the support member could result in the sheet-like product shifting to an off-center position relative to the support member thus preventing the sheets from being dispensed properly and changing the diagonal dimension of the package could increase manufacturing costs by causing packing machines to be redesigned.
The prior art stack support members lack the aspects of the present invention whereby an outwardly projecting protuberence increases the length of the folded insert thereby providing improved stability of the sheet material bundle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compact dispensing package having a support member with improved stability.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a bundle support member having outwardly projecting protuberences.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a bundle support member having a length greater than the length of the blank from which it is formed.